Diarrhea Due to Clostridium perfringens in Dogs

Dog Health Library

Clostridial Enterotoxicosis in Dogs

Clostridial enterotoxicosis is an intestinal syndrome brought on by abnormally high levels of Clostridium perfringens bacterium, a bacteria found commonly inhabiting decaying vegetation and marine sediment. It can also be acquired from raw or improperly cooked meats and poultry, and meats that have been left out in the open. There is also evidence that dogs can acquire this infection from being with other dogs, such as when boarded at a kennel.

Generally, the implications of the clostridial enterotoxicosis are limited to infections of the intestinal tract and do not progress to systemic disease conditions. Symptoms typically last a week in acute cases and include diarrhea, abdominal pain, and nausea. Long-term (chronic) cases of clostridial enterotoxicosis, meanwhile, involve recurrences of diarrhea, which may repeat every two to four weeks, and may continue for months to years. In fact, clostridial enterotoxicosis in dogs is suspected to occur in up to 20 percent of large bowel diarrhea cases.

Although it is more common in dogs as opposed to cats -- perhaps because dog spend more time amongst vegetation, or eating found meat (such as in refuse) -- most animals have antibodies that will effectively fight the bacteria and clear it from the body.

Causes

Clostridial enterotoxicosis is caused by an overgrowth of the bacteria Clostridium perfringens in the intestine. Often, the bacteria is acquired from the environment (e.g., flora) or as the result of eating raw, undercooked, or old meat. Other risk factors include:

Dietary changes

Abnormally high pH level in the intestine

Deficiency of antibodies

Exposure to other dogs at a hospital or kennel

Stress to the digestive system due to concurrent disease (e.g., parvovirus, gastroenteritis, and inflammatory bowel disease)

Diagnosis

You will need to give a thorough history of your dog's health, onset of symptoms, and possible incidents that might have precipitated/preceded this condition, such as time spent outdoors, rummaging through garbage or getting hold of old or uncooked meat, or being boarded at a kennel.

Your veterinarian will conduct a thorough physical exam on your dog as well as standard blood work, including a complete blood count, chemical blood profile, and urinalysis. Most of these tests will return normal. Because this infection has obvious intestinal symptoms, a fecal sample will need to be taken for microscopic analysis.

This intestinal disease is sometimes difficult to identify because there is no one good test for it. Often, false positive results will return as the result of interfering substances in the feces. Your veterinarian may also want to use an endoscope to visualize the interior of your dog's intestines, and possibly take a tissue sample.

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